Why are some posters from emerging, developing countries like India and China so defensive about anything that they deem to be a "negative opinion" about their country ?

Rape is an issue in EVERY country but its clear that rape stories in India are (rightfully) gaining a lot of exposure from the media so that as a country they can do something about it. Instead of childishly trying to prove the obvious that happens in every country why not address the problem by admitting it is happening a little to frequently to push this issue underneath the rug and act like its nothing out of the ordinary ?

You did not have the pleasure to see the avalanche of of statistics posted by Start Da Game and Bulava, daring me and others not to make India look bad by discussing this article, or each of them , will post more dire stats about the USA, not only about the rape, but also about all sort of crimes statistics.

They must have camped at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, they had so many links.
When they realized no one payed attention to their intimidation tactics, they went to plan B, exulting the mods to close the thread.

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Once in while, they will pop up to repeat their plea to close the thread.

“I went to college. You’re saying girls shouldn’t be followed,” said Sharad Yadav, a legislator from the state of Bihar. “Who among us has not followed girls? When you want to talk to a woman she won’t at first, you have to put in a lot of effort…It’s the same all over the country.”

Mr. Yadav was explaining why he opposed a clause in the bill that calls for harsh punishments for stalking.

Mr. Yadav also argued Bollywood films and songs encourage men to behave inappropriately – and then added this was “natural” behavior.

“Just look at films today: ‘Sheila Ki Jawaani’ will make your heart jump even if you are an old man. This is natural,” said Mr. Yadav.

For Mulayam Singh Yadav, leader of the Samajwadi Party, the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh state, the parliamentary debate was a chance to vent his views on co-education.

“Today, boys and girls study together. We have to stop that,” said Mr. Yadav.

Lalu Prasad Yadav, head of Rashtriya Janata Dal, a regional party in Bihar, took the debate to a new extreme, attacking some of India’s most prized monuments.

He called on the government to cover up ancient erotic sculptures in Khajuraho and in Konarak – both of which are UNESCO world heritage sites.

“Cover up the depictions of naked people in Khajuraho and Konarak,” said Mr. Yadav, arguing these have “a bad impact on people.”

Sumitra Mahajan, a member of the BJP, criticized Indian reality television for throwing young boys and girls together.

“I have many times seen shows, which are supposed to be for showing talent, and then in the shows which are produced 10, 12, and 14-year-old girls and boys are dancing together…dancing together to all kinds of love songs.”

Bhola Singh, an MP with the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, addressed the common gender bias among Indian families.

“Today I want to place this thought before you that that a daughter is not safe in her mother’s womb, she is not safe in her father’s presence, a daughter is not safe in the court, a daughter is not safe in the assembly, a daughter is not safe at her place of employment, a daughter is not safe in her parents’ home or even when her grandparents are around…in these conditions I support the step that has been taken, I welcome it,” said Mr. Singh.

He then brought up Indira Gandhi and her father Jawaharlal Nehru, both former prime ministers of India: “When Indira ji was born there was no clapping. Pandit Nehru and his family wanted a son, not a daughter. When Indira ji came there was no joy, no clapping and even today when a daughter comes into our homes there is no clapping, people still see it as unlucky.”

“That is not true. My father is a very proud father,” responded Supriya Sule, a politician with the National Congress Party.
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More than 67,000 cases of rape and sexual assaults against children were reported last year, compared with 37,500 in 1998. Child welfare groups believe that the number of unreported incidents could be up to 10 times that number.

Some of the victims were as young as six-months-old, a number of whom died from their injuries, while others contracted HIV. The largest increase in attacks has been against children under seven.

Although rises in poverty, violent crime and unemployment are said to have contributed to the escalation in child abuse, the most significant and worrying factor is the widespread myth sweeping the country that having sex with children provides a cure for Aids.

Before you speak to me about your religion, first show it to me in how you treat other people; before you tell me how much you love your God, show me in how much you love all His children; before you preach to me of your passion for your faith, teach me about it through your compassion for your neighbors. In the end, I'm not as interested in what you have to tell or sell as in how you choose to live and give.

[See, there can be progress, not just ppl venting about the lack of it. And to SDG, its an example of why this thread is not anti-Indian; "outsiders" like me have said all along that India can enact reforms.]

India passes strict new sexual violence laws after gang rape outrage

INDIA'S Parliament has passed a sweeping new law to protect women against sexual violence in response to a fatal December gang rape and beating of a young woman on a bus in New Delhi.

The new law, which still requires the president's signature before it becomes official, makes stalking, voyeurism and sexual harassment a crime. It also provides for the death penalty for repeat offenders or for rape attacks that lead to the victim's death. The law also makes it a crime for police officers to refuse to open cases when they receive complaints of sexual attacks.

Activists hailed the law as a milestone in India's women's rights movement, even as they raised concerns over some of its provisions as well as the country's poor record of law enforcement. "It's a significant moment. We have taken many steps forward," said Vrinda Grover, a senior lawyer and a women's rights activist. "Much, much more needs to be done."

Uganda Proposes To Ban Beyonce And Any Clothing That Exposes Intimate Parts Of The Body

Posted by Media Outrage on April 8th, 2013

Uganda is considering extraordinary measures against women’s rights that would lead to arrests for those wearing skirts above the knee in public. The proposed law would mark a return to the era of dictator Idi Amin, who banned short skirts by decree. Many Ugandans are opposed to the idea and it has spawned a Twitter hashtag, #SaveMiniSkirt. The government-backed bill would also see many films and TV dramas banned and personal internet use closely monitored by officials.

Simon Lokodo, Uganda’s ethics and integrity minister, defended the plans. “It’s outlawing any indecent dressing including miniskirts,” he said. “Any attire which exposes intimate parts of the human body, especially areas that are of erotic function, are outlawed. Anything above the knee is outlawed. If a woman wears a miniskirt, we will arrest her.”

Lokodo, a former Catholic priest, suggested that victims of sexual violence invited trouble. “One can wear what one wants, but please do not be provocative,” he said. “We know people who are indecently dressed: they do it provocatively and sometimes they are attacked. An onlooker is moved to attack her and we want to avoid those areas. He is a criminal but he was also provoked and enticed.” Asked if men would be banned from wearing shorts, the minister replied: “Men are normally not the object of attraction; they are the ones who are provoked. They can go bare-chested on the beach, but would you allow your daughter to go bare-chested?” The likes of Beyoncé and Madonna will be banned from television, Lokodo added. “We are saying anything that exposes private parts of the human body is p0rnography and anything obscene will be outlawed. Television should not broadcast a sessy person. “Certain intimate parts of the body cannot be opened except for a spouse in a private place.

“A lot of photos, television, films will be outlawed. Even on the internet, we’re going to put a monitoring system so we know who has watched which website and we know who has watched p0rnographic material.”

Beyonce is an AWFUL role model. It has to be said. I wish more feminists or just anyone of sound mind would call her out more for her implicit support for the objectification of women and her white woman aspirations. But enough of that for now. In terms of this post on the whole, I'll just say I'm glad at least this issue is being discussed. Sexual Violence against women (and children) is an enduring problem in many societies.

I just hope all this attention is going to lead to a lasting psychological change into perceptions of women and the treatment of women globally. This is a problem across the whole world, developed and less so.

The mother of a teenage girl from Nova Scotia who killed herself after allegedly being raped and photographed by four boys is speaking out, to tell the story behind her daughter’s tragic death.

Rehtaeh Parsons, 17, died on Sunday in hospital after attempting suicide a few days earlier.

“Rehtaeh was a very sensitive person and very insightful. She was a critical thinker, she thought outside the box. She was always a deep thinker, she ran, always understood the plight of others. She had great compassion. That’s who Rehtaeh was,” said her mother, Leah Parsons.

In 2011 when Rehtaeh was 15, she went with a friend to a small gathering with other teenagers and started drinking vodka.
Parsons said Rehtaeh only remembered bits and pieces of the night, but does remember throwing up out a window.
While one of the guys was allegedly having sex with her another yelled, “Take a picture, take a picture.”
“That picture began to circulate in her school and community three days later,” said Parsons.

Online tormenting
Then the online backlash and bullying began.

“She walked into the school and everyone started calling her a slut,” said Parsons.
She said her daughter broke down a few days later and told her what happened. They called an emergency health team and the police.
Parsons said after a year of investigating, police told her it was a “he said she said” case and there was not enough evidence to lay charges.
RCMP confirm they investigated the allegations and consulted with the Crown, and it was determined there was not enough evidence to proceed.
"We have to deal in facts and not rumours," said RCMP Cpl. Scott MacRae. "We may not be able to go down certain roads because of the tragic circumstance.
"I feel like the door is always open for people to talk to a police agency."

The family said they were told the photographs were not a criminal issue even though Rehtaeh was underage.
The family moved from Cole Harbour to Halifax, and her mother said Rehtaeh tried to keep her head up high but was depressed.
'I think kids today listen to a story and if that’s the most sensational story to go with they jump on that and they don’t care how it hurts other people.'
—Leah Parsons
“She was never left alone. Her friends turned against her, people harassed her, boys she didn’t know started texting her and Facebooking asking her to have sex with them since she had had sex with their friends. It just never stopped,” said Parsons.

Rehtaeh admitted herself to the hospital in March because of suicidal thoughts.
“Every text, every negative thing she would read to me. It was hard,” Parson said. “She tried and she kept trying.”
Rehtaeh tried to kill herself on Thursday and was put on life support. She was taken off on Sunday.

Parsons said the justice system failed her daughter.

“I think she would have had some satisfaction that it was real [if there were charges], because no one believed her,” she said.

Five year old victim abandoned in hospital as India faces child rape crisis
By Dean Nelson, New Delhi 10:57AM BST 21 Apr 2013

A five year old girl who was raped and left in a critical condition has been abandoned by her parents at India's leading hospital, an opposition leader has revealed amid growing anger over sexual assaults on children.

Sushma Swaraj, parliamentary leader of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, was visiting another five year old rape victim in a critical condition whose case had sparked protests throughout the capital when she was told by nurses of the abandoned girl and other victims they had treated.

The discovery of more child rape victims at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has revived the intense debate and national introspection over the scale of sexual violence in the country which followed the gang rape of a 23 year old student on a Delhi bus in December. She died two weeks later from chronic internal injuries.

Mrs Swaraj said she had believed that debate would lead to improved public safety for women, but Indian women are now more at risk than before. "I had thought that after Damini case thinking will change. Unfortunately, the situation has worsened," she said.

Human rights campaigners said there had been a 336 per cent increased in child rapes in India since 2001, from 2,113 cases to 7,112 in 2011. But even this figure is likely to be an underestimate because only a minority of cases are reported to the police, they said.